Thursday, September 13, 2018

Official release: Hoboken Police Launches Criminal Investigation against The HUB

ABC Charges also filed

On Sunday, September 9, 2018, the Hoboken Police Department
was made aware of social media activity that was showing videos
from incidents that had occurred inside The HUB (Hudson Ultra
Bar at 16 Hudson Place) from late Saturday into early Sunday
morning. The alleged activity occurred during a promotion called
“Supreme Saturdays at HUB.”

According to the preliminary investigation, the promoter
hired by The HUB that night is known as #theslutwhisperer, who
has millions of viewers on social media. The Hoboken Police
Alcohol Beverage Control Unit Investigators (ABC Unit), along
with Hoboken Police Detectives, immediately began reviewing
videos and comments from open source, social media. The videos
obtained depict extremely graphic lewd acts.

After reviewing videos and additional records obtained on
Monday, September 10th, it was determined that there were ABC
violations. On Tuesday evening, the Hoboken Police ABC
Investigators served the HUB ownership group with many charges
due to multiple acts of lewd behavior. The ABC hearing will be
held September 20th, 2018, at 4pm, at 94 Washington St, City
Hall, at which time, the City of Hoboken is seeking revocation
of The HUB’s Liquor License.

As of now, The HUB remains open until the ABC hearing. The
Hoboken Police Department will continue to have a strong
presence in the vicinity along with the ABC Unit, who will be
monitoring the area to ensure dangerous and illegal conduct is
not continuing in that immediate area.

The Hoboken Police Department Investigations Bureau is continuing a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone with information, videos or pictures regarding this incident is asked to contact the Hoboken Police Department’s Investigations Bureau Lt. Edgardo Cruz at 201-420-5101 and cruze@hobokenpd.org. All information will be kept confidential.

Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante said, “I saw videos of
activity that I never could imagine would occur anywhere,
especially in a business open to the public with a liquor
license approved by the City of Hoboken and State of New Jersey.
To state that this conduct will not be tolerated by the Hoboken
Police Department is a major understatement. Any other bar owner
that thinks they can allow or promote this type of activity, in
the City of Hoboken, will also face charges which could lead to
a revocation of their license, and severe penalties. For any
individual who saw the disgraceful acts, and are thinking of
coming to a bar in Hoboken to repeat this activity towards
women, be assured that you will be arrested if you violate the
law.”

Ferrante credited Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez
and her SVU Unit Detectives who are assisting in the
investigation. He also credited Hoboken Police Captain Charles
Campbell, Lt. Edgardo Cruz and their criminal investigators, as
well as Lt. Scott Hochstadter and his ABC investigators, for
their work thus far on this case. Chief Ferrante thanked Mayor
Ravi Bhalla and his administration for their support and their
swift response to this matter.